6 effective ways to protect your phone – approved by Which? experts

Many of us walk around with a collection of personal data, access to bank accounts and cherished memories stored on an expensive, relatively delicate device: our phones. But what would you do if you lost, broke or had yours stolen?

Without preparation ahead of time, you could be out of pocket, without your precious photos and facing financial losses. It’s worth taking the time now to make recovery possible – or even easy. If not, one day you may find yourself standing empty handed on a street corner or staring at an unresponsive slice of mashed glass and metal wishing you had done so.

Taking a few simple steps now, such as checking your settings, backups and insurance, could save a lot of grief later. Keep scrolling for step-by-step instructions by our experts to help you protect your phone and your data.

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1. Check these basic settings right away

Pin codes and biometrics

Features such as face recognition and fingerprint scanning can help keep your phone secure against intruders.

• On iPhone – head to Settings, then Face ID & Passcode. Here, you can require Face ID to access specific apps if supported and enable ‘Require Attention for Face ID’, which will check that your face is actually looking at the phone for authentication.
• On Android – enable fingerprint or face unlock in Settings, Security & Privacy and Device Unlock, though this will depend on your device.

Do be aware that face recognition on some Android phones can be unlocked with a photo. We make it clear which ones in our mobile phone reviews.

Contactless phone payments

Storing your debit or credit details on your phone may sound unwise, but it’s a smart move as card details (like the number) aren’t stored on your phone, and payments require authentication such as a fingerprint or facial biometric.

That makes them much more secure when lost or stolen than a physical card – this could be used for contactless payments with no Pin up to a limit, as well as for online purchases.

Registering your device

If you register your phone and other gadgets on the UK National Property Register at immobilise.com, the police will be able to return your handset if it’s recovered. That might be optimistic, but it’s worth a shot.

Back up your data

To be extra safe, back up any data you don’t want to lose. Double-check these backups now and then, as they can fail to complete if a phone runs short on storage.

If you're using an iPhone or iPad, you can use Apple iCloud to access your files from another Apple device, or back them up to your computer. Meanwhile, Android owners can use Google account cloud storage or Google Photos to preserve pictures of loved ones.

• On iPhone – tap Settings > Your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup and enable Backup This iPhone/iPad.
• On Android – tap Settings > Google > Backup. Under Backup is off, tap Manage backup > Turn on.

For more details, see how to back up important files on your phone or tablet 

2. Take phone security a step further

Erase your data after repeated failed attempts

This feature can protect your data if your phone is stolen, but make sure your phone is backed up before enabling it.

• On iPhone – open Settings and head to Face ID & Passcode. From here, you can choose to erase all data on the handset after 10 failed passcode attempts.
• On Android – most phones will automatically lock after too many failed attempts, and some manufacturers add extra protections that limit access or trigger security measures if repeated passcodes are entered incorrectly.

Lock specific apps

Some apps contain far more personal information than others, so it makes sense to lock them down individually.

• On Android – a feature called Private Space (shown above) lets you create a locked-down area for sensitive apps, such as banking or health apps, that require a Pin to access.
• On iPhone – hold down on an app icon to require Face ID to open it; tap to do that, and you’ll also be given the option to ‘hide’ the app, meaning it won’t show upon the main display. Instead, you’ll need to head to your App Library and scroll to the Hidden folder, using Face ID to unlock it. If you use Notes to store passwords or Pins, open it, tap the ‘…' icon and then the lock icon. 

See also: 10 phone apps you need to secure right away – if you value your privacy.

3. Find, lock or erase a stolen phone

If your phone is stolen, the thief will probably wipe it to sell it as fast as possible and your data won’t be used. However, there’s a chance they might try to hack into your accounts.

On both iPhone and Android, it’s worth setting up phone recovery tools to increase the chance of getting your phone back. If it isn’t retrievable, you can use these tools to remotely lock or wipe it.

• On iPhone – open the Settings app, tap your name, then Find My > Find My iPhone. Activate Find My iPhone to locate, lock or erase the device remotely.
• On Android – go to Settings > Security and privacy > Device finders > Find Hub. Enable Allow device to be located.

For a detailed walkthrough on what to do if the worst happens, see our guide: What to do if your phone gets stolen.

4. Stay alert to virtual thieves

When it comes to public wi-fi, pay attention when logging in, as criminals could set up a fake network to nab your data – a process referred to as an ‘evil twin’.

Check if the network label displayed on your device matches a permanent sign at the hotel or café you’re in. If you’re unsure, stay on your mobile data, in particular for privacy-focused tasks such as banking. That said, most websites and apps are normally securely encrypted anyway – that’s what the ‘s’ means in https.

A simpler scam involves QR codes, the black-and-white pixelated square patterns that can be scanned to go to a website, bring up a food menu and so on. Attackers can either hijack the redirect link – and there’s little you can do here to avoid this – or simply stick their own QR code sticker on top, sending you to their dodgy website without your knowledge.

Whether you're connecting from a coffee shop or a hotel lobby, learn how to keep your data safe when using public wi-fi.

5. Reduce your risk of online attacks

Beyond theft or loss, the real risk is from online threats. Keep your phone and apps updated to avoid hackers taking advantage of flaws in older software. Only download apps from official stores. Don’t click links you’re unsure of and be aware of phishing attacks that try to trick you into doing so.

Android and iOS both have built-in security protections, such as device encryption and browsers that automatically scan for malicious websites. 

• On iPhones, Secure Enclave keeps sensitive data isolated for additional safety.
• Android scans apps for odd behaviour and filters messages for spam and phishing messages. 

None of this is enough to protect against all threats, but your phone makes a solid effort to keep you and your data safe with features akin to antivirus on a PC.

That said, always keep your irreplaceable data, such as family photos, backed up. Regularly check that backups are working, as they may fail if you start to run out of space on your phone.

6. Protect your phone against damage

Phone screens used to shatter when they hit the ground and fail when dropped in water. Thanks to innovations in toughened glass and waterproofing, we no longer need to panic if our pricey phone slips from our hands, even into the toilet.

To find out how durable modern phones really are, we put them through tests performed under strict lab conditions, so the results are comparable.

• Switched-on phones are put in a tumbling barrel with a fall height of 80cm and a stone surface (standard EN 60 068) for 50 rotations, so it’s like dropping a phone 100 times.
• We check screen durability by scratching with a special tool.
• The phones also undergo water-resistance testing, including a shower (to mimic rain) and a submersion test.

To find the best phone cases, we pitted two bestselling models against each other: see our Mous Limitless 6.0 vs Otterbox Defender comparison.

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